BUFFALO — The Buffalo Bills are set to play their home opener tonight against the Detroit Lions at the new Highmark Stadium — a $2 billion facility making its regular season debut — and tight end Dawson Knox is heading into the game with a lot more on his mind than football.
Knox, elected captain by his teammates, became a father late last season when his daughter was born in December. He described the experience as unlike anything else in his life.
"Dad life has been absolutely unreal man. It's been one of the greatest joys of my life. My wife is incredible. Watching her become a mom might be the greatest joy of my life. But it's just so much fun, getting home to her, getting home to my daughter... good day bad day at work, it doesn't matter. They're both smiling. I get to pick my daughter up and play with her. It might one of the coolest experiences of my life. We're enjoying every second we have with her," Knox said.
Knox said the lessons of fatherhood have carried over directly into his role as a team leader.
"I think, as a man, we're called to be the leaders of the household, both spiritually, physically, we're called to provide. So I think translating that to the football field, to the locker room, it's huge. When you know what it's like to take care of your wife, take care of your daughter, take care of your kids, I think that helps you become a stronger teammate, stronger friend, stronger leader... so being able to practice that at home has definitely been helping me in the locker room as well," Knox said.
The connection to Buffalo runs deeper than the game for Knox. His wife is a Buffalonian, and her family lives in Western New York — meaning Knox plays in front of them every time the Bills take the field.
He shared a lighthearted story about how their relationship began and what it was like introducing her to football.
"It's funny. She is a Buffalonian but she didn't know the first thing about football when we started dating. It was hilarious. So what position do you play? I was trying to explain what a tight end is and she's like I just don't get it... like okay, that's offense... there's defense right? What do you play on defense? And I was like, 'I don't play defense..' So why don't you play defense?! So it was kinda fun watching her learn football. I think she'd been to maybe one or two games her entire life. But that Buffalonian spirit still is unbelieveable and the people in this town, this city, just feeling their support, their love is incredible and it's what makes the Bills Mafia the greatest fanbase in the world and another huge reason why I wanted to be here at all cost," Knox said.
That desire to stay in Buffalo was tested heading into this season. Knox acknowledged there was uncertainty about whether he would return.
"Naturally that concern is always going to be there if you're not... well technically I was under contract... but I knew it was going to be a restructure or they would have to release me. So I had to consider what it would look like if I was released. So that just... it wasn't sitting right with me or my wife. It definitely didn't feel like the Lord was calling me to go somewhere else. So we kept praying about it and thankfully it worked out to stay here, but we would have done just about everything we could to stay and thankfully it all worked out. But again I hope to be here for a long long time. It's cliche, but there's no where else I'd rather be," Knox said.
Kickoff for tonight's home opener against the Lions is at 8:15.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE:
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Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox named team captain ahead of Highmark Stadium opener
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